View full sizeAP fileHall of Famer Chuck Berry, captured in a performance in Zurich, is the 2012 American Music Masters honoree chosen by the Rock Hall and Case Western Reserve University. A weeklong series of events will mark Berry's career.

Chuck Berry has been making music since the 1955 release of his first single on Chess Records, "Maybellene," so it clearly will take more than one night to honor the 2012 American Music Master honoree chosen by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and Case Western Reserve University.

Thus, a weeklong series of events leading up to the Saturday, Oct. 27, awards ceremony and tribute concert at PlayhouseSquare's State Theatre is in order.

The Rock Hall has released just such a plan. Best of all, all events except for the tribute concert, a special Friday, Oct. 26, show at the Rock Hall featuring Rick Derringer and the daylong American Music Masters Conference at the Rock Hall are free.

• 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 22: "Rock and Roll Night School" spotlights Berry in the Rock Hall's fourth-floor Foster Theater. Rock Hall educators will use songs that key on Berry's songwriting and guitar skills to "examine the scope and impact" of his career. Seats are available on a first-come, first served basis. The event also will be streamed live on rockhall.com.

• 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 23. Nadine Cohodas, author of "Spinning Blues into Gold: The Chess Brothers and the Legendary Chess Records," will speak on the role the label played in Berry's career. The event will be at the Library Reading Room, the Rock Hall's Library and Archives, 2809 Woodland Ave., Cleveland. Make required reservations at tickets.rockhall.com.

•4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 24. "Stop and Listen," is a program for teachers in grades K-12 that focuses on classroom use of spoken word and slam poetry. This particular session, held at the Rock Hall, keys on Berry's wordplay skills. Make reservations via email at education@rockhall.org or by phone at 216-515-8426.

•7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 24. The Rock Hall will screen "Chuck Berry: Hail! Hail! Rock and Roll" in its Foster Theater. Reservations are required at tickets.rockhall.com or at the Rock Hall box office. Rock Hall members can make reservations Thursday; reservations open to the general public on Friday.

•7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 25. Author and musician Greg Tate speaks at the CWRU Harkness Chapel, 11200 Bellflower Ave., Cleveland, on the significance of Chuck Berry in American history. The event is free and does not require a reservation.

•8:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26. Concert by the Rick Derringer Trio on the Rock Hall's main stage. Tickets, $15, are available online at tickets.rockhall.com or at the box office.

•10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27. The American Music Masters Conference uses footage by filmmaker and archivist Joe Lauro of Historic Films and other media to examine Berry's career. Tickets are $25 (including a $10 lunch voucher) and are available online at tickets.rockhall.com and the box office.

•7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27. The American Music Masters Tribute to Chuck Berry concert at PlayhouseSquare's State Theatre will feature a diverse lineup ranging from country icons like Merle Haggard to metal innovators like Motorhead's Lemmy Kilmister, plus a performance by the man himself. Tickets, $30 to $40, are available online at playhousesquare.org, at the box office and by phone at 216-241-6000.

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